1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to article holders and, more particularly, to an adjustable holding device, and method associated therewith, which can releasably hold and stabilize various articles, such as drink containers, of various cross-sectional areas.
2. Background Art
Article holding devices, of the type primarily intended for holding, for example, drink containers, have been around for many years. While such holding devices have been intended to prevent a drink container from spilling when exposed to vibration and other disturbances often resulting when, for example, a vehicle to which it is attached is in motion. Many of these holders have been limited for use with only a few predetermined sized articles. As a result, a user of the holder is confined to drink containers that are both small enough to fit within the confines of the container, yet also large enough to permit proper cooperation between the holder and article to prevent article movement.
Although such adjustable holding devices have proven functional, they have been fraught with drawbacks. Indeed, such adjustable holding devices, typically including a retaining ring associated with the upper portion of the device, have large bodies wherein the lower part of the article is placed within that body (such as shown in Eberlin, U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,338). In such a construction, the amount of inward movement of the associated gripping members become directly related to the width of the upper ring. As a result, the device itself must invariably be larger than the largest cross sectional diameter of any container placed therein. The width of the ring adds significantly to the size and area required for use of the apparatus. Consequently, it is difficult to find sufficient room in today's smaller vehicles for placement of the apparatus.
In other constructions, such as Shields U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,733, a configuration of the gripping members is disclosed which allows a narrower housing. However, the gripping members do not yield a large surface area of contact. Furthermore, the gripping members, due to the hinge configuration, are of limited durability.
Such prior art adjustable holding devices are not generally conducive to accommodating various shaped articles. For example, the structure disclosed in Shields, '733 does not appear to facilitate securement of a coffee mug with a handle because, while the mug can fit within the housing, the mug handle interferes. Since the handle of a mug is designed for multiple fingers and extends over a large area, even the shallowest of bodies tend to interfere to some extent with proper placement of the mug.
Additionally, certain adjustable holding devices, perhaps not plagued by the aforementioned problems, appear to be incapable of retaining a particular configuration (for example, Risca, U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,380). In Risca '380, the particular configuration is achieved by the insertion of the drink container. Once the drink container is removed, the holding flanges return to an initial position. The drink must be reinserted to re-adjust the holding flaps. Inasmuch as driving an automobile requires concentration and careful attention to the road and other drivers, constant re-adjustment and hampered insertion of the drink container creates a risk during the operation of the vehicle.